Proven factors to living a longer, happier life

Whether it’s self-help books, personal magazine articles or your family doctor — not to mention fit-crazed friends — they all say that diet and exercise are keys to living a longer life. While there are undeniable truths to this, there are also numerous other factors that will add years to your life. You may be surprised to learn what they are.

Owning pets

According to Animal Planet, pet lovers can expect to live longer than non-pet owners. Animal Planet reports that people who own pets are less likely to die of heart disease or heart attacks. The reason: humans get great benefits from having four-legged friends for companionship because pets help people feel better overall.

There are also benefits for senior pet owners. Not only do pets provide seniors with ‘someone’ to interact with, but seniors who routinely walked their dogs also showed a boost in parasympathetic nervous system activity, which helps to calm the rest of the body.

Housework

Research shows that active people live longer than those who prefer a sedentary lifestyle. According to Harvard Medical School, people who participate in everyday activities like gardening, house maintenance and even housework were found to live longer due to the additional physical activity. In comparison, people who actively did more intense housework such as painting their homes or repairing their houses, were found less likely to die from premature death.

Enjoying a cuppa’ joe

Great news for coffee lovers everywhere! A recent study by Harvard Medical School revealed that drinking coffee contributes to a longer life. People who drank coffee, whether regular or decaf, were less likely to die from diabetes, respiratory disease and even heart-related illnesses due to specific healthy compounds found in coffee beans.

According to the findings, people who drink approximately 2 cups of coffee each day saw a 15 percent reduction in the overall death for women and a 10 percent reduction for men. Since there are hundreds of compounds in coffee beans, researchers are not sure exactly which compounds prove most beneficial, however, they do point out that chlorogenic acid functions as an antioxidant .

Happiness

This may seem obvious, but being a naturally happy person is found to lower your risk of premature death. Your level of overall contentment combined with having a positive outlook on life will certainly add years to your life. Researchers found that happiness was an effective remedy for ill-health and stress. Scientists from the University College of London report that people who are happy enjoy a 35 percent less chance of dying a premature death.